Since the party has not announced its zoning formula, all aspirants are still canvassing various sentiments to support their candidacy. While some have been arguing on the basis of their geopolitical zones, others bank on their political backgrounds especially those that belonged to the old political blocks that merged to form the party.
Party chieftains that have indicated an interest in the plum job, include former governor of Borno State, Senator Ali-Modu Sheriff; Mr Sylvester Moniedafe from Adamawa State; former governor of Gombe State, Danjuma Goje.
Others are former Deputy National Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Malam Saliu Mustapha; former governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Tanko Al Makura; Senator Mohammed Sani Musa and Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Dr George Akume; former governor of Zamfara and former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari.
Only recently, former member, House of Representatives and Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, Hon. Bawa Bwari from Niger State has also been mentioned as an aspirant jostling to head the ruling party.
There appears to be a consensus among APC chieftains to swap seats of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party between north and south, which has thrown up the question of which geopolitical zone in the North will produce the national chairman of the party.
As aspirants go around the country to intensify their campaigns for the office, there are claims by some that their candidacy is being supported by the presidency while some have mentioned Progressive Governor’s Forum (PGF) led by Kebbi State governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, as their backbone for the race.
Before now, there were talks that the pendulum was swinging towards the direction of North Central where aspirants like Musa, Al-Makura and Mustapha come from.
Indeed, prospects of Musa emerging triumphant actually gained traction after the National Leader of the party and Presidential aspirant, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, paid him a courtesy visit in his Maitama, Abuja home recently. However, the opposition by the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to micro-zone the national chairmanship of the party to North Central has become an albatross for aspirants from that zone.
Al-Makura and Mustapha supporters have said that their antecedents in their days in the CPC placed them ahead of other contestants for the job. They said those that have headed the party from inception to date came from the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). To them, it would be just and fair to concede the office to the CPC members that are yet to produce national chairmanship of the party.
However, the story making the rounds is that the Presidency may have resolved that the national chairmanship seat be left in the North East on the basis that it is consistent with already established norms in the party.
This decision is informed by the precedent that when Chief John Odige-Oyegun from the South-South was dropped as the APC national chairman, the party still went to the zone to pick former Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, under a consensus arrangement.
It is also argued that since Governor Mai Mala Buni, who heads the APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) hails from the North East, “it becomes logical the next APC national chairman comes from the zone.”
The trio of Sherrif, Goje and Moniedafe, who is the Jagaban of Jimeta are from the Northeast geopolitical zone.
A source that spoke on the condition of anonymity argued: “They may have looked at happenings within the party’s rank and file and the peculiar challenges that would meet APC in 2023 general elections when President Muhammadu Buhari would not be on the ballot. It was agreed that for APC to retain the presidency and maintain its winning streak after 2023, its next national chairman must be a person of character, social and economic standing with experience in party administration and profound understanding of the process of, and intrigues in contesting and winning elections.”
The source said that other factors considered were the fact that ANPP block, one of the political parties that merged to form APC, has not been adequately compensated and has not been really accommodated in the scheme of things in the APC as it were.
“CPC has the President, ACN has the Vice President and chairman of the party. The ANPP went into the pact to form APC with the highest number of states, but yet to be properly recognised with political positions.
“Barring any changes in plan, zoning of APC national chairmanship to the Northeast will be announced in the next few days and this will expectedly put to rest earlier rumour that the position has been zoned to the North-central,” the source said.
A political group, Vision for a Better, Progressive and United Nigeria, has expressed support for micro-zoning the national chairmanship of the party to Northeast, noting that with Sheriff the party’s victory would be assured given his political clout and goodwill across the country.
National coordinator of the group, Comrade Peter Akubou argued that of all qualified aspirants vying for the party’s top job, Sheriff stands out as one that has what it takes to unite different interests not only within the party but also across the diverse groups in the country.
Akubuo pointed out that Sheriff has massive experience in party administration, adding that the fact that he was once the National Chairman of the main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), put him strategically ahead of others.
He said: “Sheriff has the spread and goodwill to lead APC to victory in the 2023 presidential election. We, as a pressure group within APC, have no doubt, that Ali Modu Sheriff has what it takes to strengthen APC and reposition it for the 2023 general elections.
“There is no gainsaying that our great party, APC, needs a dynamic, focused and self-willed leader that can galvanise and genuinely unite all members and interest groups, especially after the national convention.”
Reacting to the development, Dr Richard Terwase, a member of Senator George Akume Campaign Organisation, one of the leading aspirants from the Northcentral, said he was not aware of the plan to zone the office to Northeast.
He said: “My only interest is that my principal, Senator Akume is in the race, and we hope and pray that the party’s leadership will see him as the most capable person to handle that position. I am not aware of any zoning,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Concerned APC Members Forum, led by Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into the issue of determining the selection of the national chairman of the party.
The group urged President Buhari not to allow the selfish interest of the 2023 presidential ambition of some ranking members to destroy the party.
The group said: “We want Mr. President to recommend a highly committed and disciplined member, a man of humility and resilience with acute knowledge of party administration that will respect both former and serving governors, senators, ministers, party faithful, and of course, leaders of our party. This will go a long way to reduce internal crisis in the party, control spending by aspirants and solve the problem of reconciliation after the national convention.”
“We also want to draw Mr. President’s attention to the fact that, immediately after the convention, there is a primary election not far away, so, the need to minimise our crises and concentrate on the 2023 general elections is very important.
“We recommend to Mr. President to call a meeting of all aspirants for the national chairmanship position and hand over the preferred candidate to them, instructing an all-inclusive government. This will immediately heal any injury in the heart of any and the course of explanation to his supporters while he stepped down.”
